pay a compliment to someone—(also: make a compliment to someone) express praise or admiration for a person in a remark:
- Rhonda pays a compliment to her husband, Mike, for staying as loving as he was when they first met.
pay one’s compliments to someone —(also: make one’s compliments to someone) express good wishes or respect to a person:
- All things having satisfied the admiral, he paid his compliments to Raoul, and gave the last orders for sailing.